Mindfulness must be engaged. Once there is seeing, there must be acting. Otherwise, what is the use of seeing? We must be aware of the real problems of the world. Then, with mindfulness, we will know what to do and what not to do to be of help…

You can contribute to the Resident Program:
People from all over the world come to Upaya to
practice, serve, and learn. Upaya completely supports their presence
as they stay with us from three months to a year. Please support
this program.

For news about Roshi's recent teachings and her Upaya schedule for the rest of the year, see "Roshi's News" and "WEB LINKS." Also join Sensei Beate Genko Stolte for one of the programs or retreats listed below (more listed under her teaching schedule).

Please Note: Memorial Service at Upaya temple for all marked by 9/11, on Sunday, September 11, at 7:40 am.Please join Roshi Joan Halifax, Sensei Beate Stolte, and Frank Ostaseski for this important event.

May you find inspiration — here and in your life — to enrich your journey.

Roshi Joan's News, Upcoming Teachings, Travels with Links

After weeks of intensive teaching and practice at Upaya in the Chaplaincy training, Roshi is at the Refuge for some days of retreat, mountain walking, writing, and working on her photo book, before the Ostaseski/Halifax program; on the afternoon of September 11, she flies to Boston to the Mind and Life Board meeting, on Sept 12 she flies to Nepal. She is grateful that amchis, traditional doctors, will join the trip to Mustang and serve alongside the doctors and nurses in the Nomads Clinic. Please note that Roshi has planned a trip to Dolpo, Nepal, with Nomads Clinic in September a year from now. For information, contact the office.

"This compelling, brave, and wise book draws from a lifetime of remarkable work with people at the end of life."—Andrew Weil, MD

"Joan Halifax has a knack for straight talk and sublime insight—a no-holds-barred approach to life's greatest challenge, dying well. This book beckons to those who dare, and those who care; it's a profound and practical guidebook to the inevitable final dance." —Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence

Roshi Joan and three close friends, John Madison, Lola Long, and Brother John, made a remarkable Pilgrimage to Mt. Kailash in 1987. They hitchhiked across the Tibetan plateau where Roshi Joan did a retreat in a cave north of Lake Manasarovar. She and her friends circumambulated Mt. Kailash and then hitchhiked back across the plateau. Watch the video here — this is an extraordinary film. Enjoy!

CONNECT WITH ROSHI

Roshi's interest in social networking reflects her early work in anthropology and her Buddhist vision of interconnectedness. Photos

Dharma Talks: The Upaya bookstore has a number of Roshi's dharma talks on DVD. Please call the front office for titles and ordering, 505-986-8518, or email upaya@upaya.org

Tibet: The Chinese filmmaker Kam Sung has made a fascinating and visually poetic account of Roshi Joan in Tibet. A high-resolution version on DVD is now available from Upaya. Email at upaya@upaya.org or call 505-986-8518 to order. See exceptional video of Roshi in Eastern Tibet done by Kam Sung: https://www.createspace.com/267427 to purchase the film or click here to view A Constant Pilgrim.

CD

Roshi Joan's 6-CD series on Being with Dying (from Sounds True Audio) is now available. To order, call 505-986-8518 or email: upaya@upaya.org

Sensei Beate Genko Stolte's 2011 Teaching Schedule with Links

Information and registration links for each program are listed below. Or you can click here for a link to Upaya's 2011 calendar._________

FEATURE ARTICLES

Aware of the suffering caused by imposing one's own opinions or cultural beliefs upon another human being, I undertake the training to refrain from forcing others, in any way through authority, threat, financial incentive, or education to adopt my own belief system. I commit to respecting every human being's right to be different, while working towards the elimination of suffering of all beings.

Aware of the suffering caused by invalidating or denying another person's experience, I undertake the training to refrain from making assumptions, or judging harshly any beliefs and attitudes that are different from my own or not understandable to me. I commit to being open-minded towards other points of view, and I commit to meeting each perceived difference in another person with the willingness to learn more about their world view and individual circumstances.

Aware of the suffering caused by the violence of treating someone as inferior or superior to one's own self, I undertake the training to refrain from diminishing or idealizing the worth, integrity, and happiness of any human being. Recognizing that my true nature is not separate from others, I commit to treating each person that comes into my consciousness, with the same loving kindness, care, and equanimity that I would bestow upon a beloved benefactor or dear friend.

Aware of the suffering caused by intentional and unintentional acts of rejection, exclusion, avoidance, or indifference towards people who are culturally, physically, sexually, or economically different from me, I undertake the training to refrain from isolating myself to people of similar backgrounds as myself and from being only with people who make me feel comfortable. I commit to searching out ways to diversify my relationships and to increase my sensitivity towards people of different cultures, ethnicities, sexual orientations, ages, physical abilities, genders, and economic means.

Aware of the suffering caused by the often unseen nature of privilege, and the ability of privilege to benefit a select population over others, I undertake the training to refrain from exploiting any person or group, including economically, sexually, intellectually, or culturally. I commit to examine with wisdom and clear comprehension the ways that I have privilege in order to determine skillful ways of using privilege for the benefit of all beings, and I commit to the practice of generosity in all aspects of my life and towards all human beings, regardless of cultural, ethnic, racial, sexual, age, physical or economic differences.

Aware of the suffering caused to myself and others by fear and anger during conflict or disagreement, I undertake the training to refrain from reacting defensively, using harmful speech because I feel injured, or using language or cognitive argument to justify my sense of rightness. I commit to communicate and express myself mindfully, speaking truthfully from my heart with patience and compassion. I commit to practice genuine and deep listening to all sides of a dispute, and to remain in contact with my highest intentions of recognizing Buddha nature within all beings.

Aware of the suffering caused by the ignorance of misinformation and the lack of information that aggravate fixed views, stereotypes, the stigmatizing of a human being as other and the marginalization of cultural groups, I undertake the training to educate myself about other cultural attitudes, world views, ethnic traditions, and life experiences outside of my own. I commit to be curious with humility and openness, to recognize with compassion the experience of suffering in all beings, and to practice sympathetic joy when encountering the many different cultural expressions of happiness and celebration around the world.

Aware of the suffering caused by the cumulative harm that a collective of people can impose on individuals and other groups, I undertake the training to refrain from consciously validating or participating in group processes, dynamics, activities, decisions, or actions which perpetuate the suffering that these trainings describe on a familial, social, institutional, governmental, societal, cultural, or global level. I commit to exploring, examining and eliminating the ways that I consciously and unconsciously ally myself with forces that cause harm and oppression, and commit myself to working for the benefit and peace of all beings, in all directions.

A version of these trainings is included in Friends on the Path: Living in Community, by Thich Nhat Hanh, Parallax Press, 2002.

These trainings are viewed as a continual work in progress and given freely to all communities to practice. Feel welcomed to modify the trainings to suit your individual needs or those of your sangha. It is hoped, regardless of how these trainings evolve, that our deepest mutual intentions can be shared and help to move us toward freedom for all beings.

Larry Yang, LCSW, is a clinical supervisor at San Francisco General Hospital's outpatient psychotherapy clinic. He supervises and mentors psychotherapists and is the coordinator of diversity and multicultural services. Being a gay man of color who is training in the Theravadan Buddhist tradition, he is on the Diversity Council of Spirit Rock Meditation Center and is part of their Community Dharma Leaders and Dedicated Practitioners Programs. Larry can be reached at diversitydharmaaol.com

Oppression is a difficult concept to embrace, and it is a difficult experience to explain. Oppression is an intense form of suffering that often elicits seemingly immediate reactions from individuals whether they are the targets of oppression or are the instigators of oppression. For people who are directly wounded by the violence of racism, sexism, homophobia, classism, or other forms of oppression, the pain may be so great that it is difficult to examine on the moment-to-moment basis that dharma practice asks of us. For people who perpetrate oppression or who are not the direct targets of oppression, the pain may not be acknowledged, seen, or even understood. And yet, it exists. And it separates us from each other-in ways that harm the quality of life of all beings. So, what to do? How do we consciously move towards the suffering, from wherever we are at, with the awareness and intention and compassion that the dharma has taught us?

The intention in developing these trainings is to break down the concept and experience of oppression into some salient components. The invitation offered is to begin by transforming a piece of oppression, rather than being intimidated by the vastness of its suffering. Dharma practice is often presented as an incremental and cumulative process. The practice of diversity is also such a process. The hope is that this process can invite us into taking these important steps to transforming in deep and meaningful ways our experience with oppression.

The practice of these trainings is an opportunity to begin the journey towards narrowing the experience of separation. As humans, we all participate in the harmful behaviors that these trainings are addressing. We all have been the perpetrator and victim, at one time or another. These trainings are for all of us, not just for any particular group or community. And in our conjoint practice are the vision, hope, and possibility of both cultivating non-perpetration of oppression and increasing compassion in how we live our lives and understand each other.

Thich Nhat Hanh's Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings of the Order of Interbeing were an invaluable inspiration and nourishment of these trainings in diversity. The first mind training in diversity is a variation of Thich Nhat Hanh's Third Mindfulness Training in the Freedom of Thought. Since culture and identity are often made up of beliefs and views, this felt like the best place to begin the trainings. Thich Nhat Hanh has written: "Many of today's problems did not exist at the time of the Buddha. Therefore, we have to look deeply together in order to develop the insights that will help us and our children find better ways to live wholesome, happy, and healing lives." This encouragement and suggestion for our dharma practice becomes especially important with issues of diversity.

American Buddhists and Worker Justice — A Call to Action: Mushim Ikeda-Nash

Posted on September 6, 2010 by Maia Duerr in The Jizo Chronicles

Mushim Ikeda-Nash is a dharma teacher, diversity consultant, writer, and editor who lives in Oakland, CA. She is a core teacher at the East Bay Meditation Center (also in Oakland). For many years, Mushim wrote a “Family Practice” column in Turning Wheel that was one of the most beloved parts of the magazine. She has a gift for bringing the dharma into the every day details of our lives, whether that is being a parent or being an engaged citizen.

Aware of the suffering caused by exploitation, social injustice, stealing, and oppression, I vow to cultivate loving kindness and learn ways to work for the well-being of people, animals, plants, and minerals.

In the richest country in the world, more than two million full-time, year round workers live below the poverty line, struggling to pay for necessities such as food, housing, healthcare, transportation, and childcare (U.S. Census Bureau, “Poverty in the United States: 2002”).

The Thich Nhat Hanh quote, above, is a contemporary interpretation of the traditional Buddhist precept, “Do not steal.” It calls upon us to deepen our investigation of what “stealing” is: we may not be robbing banks, or breaking and entering other people’s homes, but are we supporting exploitation of workers through the clothing, shoes, and food we buy? How far are we willing to go out of our usual comfort zones, how deeply are we willing to dig into our pockets, in order to support fair trade goods and worker justice?

How many Buddhist clergy and lay leaders turn up at worker strikes to show their support, in alliance with interfaith efforts? How many teachers giving Dharma talks or Buddhist sermons address the issues of living wage and worker rights? And if we ourselves are Buddhist and are laboring in exploitative workplaces, do we feel we can reach out to Buddhist coalitions for solidarity and support?

Buddhist teachings provide a “big picture view” spanning many generations, acknowledging that systemic greed, hatred, and delusion do not change overnight. When we examine the “ancient twisted karma” of innumerable human choices and actions, we can see that intertwined with the cause of worker justice in the United States is the plight of immigrants and undocumented workers, the “life threatening disease” of racism, and the breakdown of American public education.

We all need the basics: food, shelter, clothing, and medical care. Grinding poverty, for those who are working as hard as they can, leads to constant suffering and fear. As American Buddhists, we need to help ourselves and others realize the means to attain Right Livelihood, or non-harmful ways of making a decent living. Everyone, without exception, wants to live with dignity and safety, in happiness and in peace. When we help others, we help ourselves.

So, what can we do? Reflecting on our own actions, we can appreciate choices we’ve made in the past that support worker justice. When my son was seven years old, the Oakland public school teachers went on an extended strike. We never crossed the picket line, but I hadn’t been prepared to do home schooling, and my own work schedule was disrupted completely. I recall arriving at a local science museum one afternoon and finding a group of similarly desperate parents sitting outside, with screaming kids swarming over a large cement dinosaur. Greeting each other with exhausted nods, we sat together in silence. Convenient? No. Necessary? Yes! We supported the Oakland teachers’ union, and we made it through the strike, one day at a time.

Let’s take a vow today to take a step, small or large, for worker justice. Let’s think of one thing we can do, no matter how seemingly small, to help workers in our neighborhood, our schools, our community, earn a living wage and improve their situations. Working together, we can do it!

At the end of last week’s International Mindfulness Congress in Hamburg, His Holiness the Dalai Lama was asked whether the practice of mindfulness is inherently ethical. This was, I think, the pressing and recurring question of our conference, which brought together Buddhist teachers, neuroscientists, doctor, psychologists, educators, and even one or two activists. His Holiness, echoing the comments of professor Alan Wallace’s opening keynote, said that even a suicide bomber would likely have to cultivate some sort of “mindfulness.”

WEB LINKS

WEB LINKS

Roshi Joan Halifax, TED Talk on Compassion and the True Meaning of Empathy, http://www.ted.com/talks/joan_halifax.html In this talk given to a TED audience in Washington, DC, Roshi Joan Halifax shares what she’s learned about compassion in the face of death and dying, and a deep insight into the nature of empathy.

How could the climate crisis become a great love story?Click here. Roshi Joan Halifax answers this question, shot at Upaya by director Velcrow Ripper. This video likely to be part of his upcoming feature doc (in progress) EVOLVE LOVE: Love in A Time of Climate Crisis, 2012.

UPAYA'S PROGRAMS

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Ways to be at Upaya: Path of Service, Guest Practitioner, Volunteer

Path of Service: Upaya is accepting applications for our Path of Service resident program, inviting practitioners to live and serve here from three months to a year or more. For more information and to apply click here or contact: pos@upaya.org

This is a wonderful way to give of your energy, deepen your Buddhist practice, and be in a thriving sangha. Enjoy and learn from the opportunity to receive zen teachings from Roshi Joan Halifax, Sensei Beate Genko Stolte and many other extraordinary teachers; hear weekly seminars and dharma talks; have dokusan with Sensei Beate, and experience the deep joy of living in community.

Personal Retreat/Guest Practitioner: Quiet, still, peaceful — Upaya is a special place in the fall with intimate rooms, kiva fireplaces, and breathtaking views. Spend some time here and find your own rhythm as a personal retreatant. To learn more about enjoying a peronal retreat at Upaya or coming as a guest practitioner, please contact Roberta at 505-986-8518 X12, registrar@upaya.org or click here.

Volunteer at our front desk, kitchen, garden or in housekeeping. Our volunteer program is intended for people who wish to contribute to Upaya and spend time working with the resident sangha; it is non-residential. For those who have the financial need, volunteer hours can be exchanged for retreat participation. In that case, a $10 hourly rate is credited for your work, and a maximum of 80% of the tuition may be earned and must be earned in advance of the event. Contact Roberta 505-986 8518, ext 12 or registrar@upaya.org.

Engaged Buddhism at Upaya

Upaya's service programs: caring for the sick and those in prison, compassionate action, and homelessness.

Metta Refuge Council: Tuesday, 9:45 a.m., a meeting for people who are ill, their caregivers, hospice volunteers, nurses, and those interested in exploring issues around sickness, aging, and death. Beginning at 11:20 am until nooon the group engages in contemplative writing as a way to explore what is present for people in the moment. No writing experience is needed. For more information, contact Susan Benjamin at ArtTherapy@aol.com. For details: http://www.upaya.org/action/caring.php

TheUpaya Prison Project serves prison residents at Santa Fe County Adult Detention Center and the Penitentiary of New Mexico. Volunteers train to work "inside", teaching stress management through meditation, simple yoga, and confidential conversation in a protected place. More volunteers are needed to teach life skills and social skills. If this interests you, email Ray Olson at raynan56@gmail.com.

For information about Upaya's Nomads Clinics in Tibet and Nepal, contact Roshi Joan at upaya@upaya.org

Upaya is a member of the Interfaith Leadership Alliance of Santa Fe. Residents, Chaplaincy Students, and staff are collaborating with this critical community organization in addressing the needs of those who are homeless in our community. Last fall and spring we donated time and resources to the Winter Overflow Shelter located at the old Pete's Pets building on Cerrillos. And we are currently enthusiastically pursuing upcoming opportunities. As soon as we have more information, we will update Sangha members, who are all welcome to participate on Upaya's behalf how, where, and when possible.

Please help support our projects by making a donation to Upaya Zen Center for the Metta Program or Upaya Prison Project. We are deeply grateful for any donation.__________

Update on Metta Refuge Council: Susan Benjamin

Metta Council, begun in 1994, is a stable, compassionate and welcoming respite for people who are living with illness, grieving the loss of a loved one, and care-givers. New people are always welcome and join in throughout the year. As the years have passed, the group has broadened it's scope to embrace people who are in emotional and physical pain dealing with personal loss. Many who come to Metta Council also extend their compassion outside of the group, when needed, to help each other. It's an opportunity to share with an open heart and know that we have been heard and cared about. For more information about this council, see http://www.upaya.org/action/caring.php or contact Susan Benjamin at ArtTherapy@aol.com.

Update on the Prison Outreach Project: Ray Olson

This project currently has seven activities in place:

Weekly stress management class at the county jail

Weekly “Buddhist Studies” group for lower security level inmates at the local state penitentiary

Cell to cell visits in the higher security units of the state penitentiary

Meditation instruction for high security level inmates in one of the prison chapels

Upaya's Buddhist Chaplaincy Program

The whole idea of compassion is based on a keen awareness of the interdependence of all these living beings, which are all part of one another, and all involved in one another. —Thomas Merton

Chaplaincy Program Website. Based on the work of the late Francisco Varela and His Holiness the Dalai Lama, this visionary two-year program brings together science, systems theory, practice, and humanism in a powerful way with Roshi Joan Halifax, Sensei Fleet Maull, Father John Dear, Rabbi Malka Drucker, Cheri Maples, Sensei Alan Senauke, and an exceptional faculty next year. For more info, see the program website or contact program director Maia Duerr at chaplaincy@upaya.org

We are now accepting applications for the 2012 cohort.

This year's core faculty includes Roshi Joan Halifax, Roshi Bernie Glassman, Sensei Fleet Maull, Cheri Maples, and Merle Lefkoff. Next year's core faculty includes Roshi Joan Halifax, Sensei Fleet Maull, Joanna Macy, Sensei Alan Senauke, and many others. The Chaplaincy Scholarship Fund has been created to offer tuition scholarships for outstanding students who would not otherwise be able to attend Upaya's two-year Buddhist Chaplaincy Program.

We invite you to support this fund by donating here. Once we have the fund fully established, we will let prospective candidates know how to apply for scholarships. Thank you for your support!

Prajna Mountain Forest Refuge

Prajna Mountain Forest Refuge is a place of deep quiet and vastness, simplicity and hermit practice. Roshi created the two iMovies below about the Refuge. If you wish to volunteer to do mudding of buildings, carpentry, wood chopping, gardening, assisting our yogis with hermitage construction, or cooking, contact Peggy Murray peggy@upaya.org for information. The Refuge is closed for the season after Sept. 10.

Local Sangha Web Page

We now have a web page and email list dedicated to Upaya's Santa Fe Local Sangha: http://www.upaya.org/about/sangha.phpWe encourage anyone who would like to become more involved with local events to visit this page and sign up for the list.

Upaya Scholarship Fund

Your donation to The Upaya Scholarship Fund will provide students of all ages and backgrounds with the means to participate in our programs and retreats. Please help support those in need by contributing to the fund.

Throughout the year, we receive many requests for financial assistance and would love to be able to meet everyone’s needs. With your generous donation we will be able to reach out more.

Monetary donations can be made by phone, mail, or online. International donations can be made securely online using PayPal. By phone we accept cash, check, MasterCard, and Visa. Please click here to make a donation.

Thank you in advance for any assistance you can give!

Become a Member

Become a member online. Your membership gives so much to Upaya, and we in turn offer free podcasts, daily practice, teachings, our weekly newsletter, videos, and service to the homeless, those in prisons, and at the end of life. Become a member of Upaya and support all that happens in this unique place of practice.Your monthly donation will make a real difference in sustaining Roshi's work, Sensei Beate's teachings, and Upaya's existence. Or join by calling Roberta Koska, Upaya's registrar, at 505-986-8518 X12.